Breathing mask



Dec. 1,4 1942.

J. G. MEJEAN BREATHING MASK Filed Dec. 2,. 1938 2 SheetSi-Sheeb 2 IIIIIIIIIIIHIUIIHI r. a @W m uw .w M m. `,y .W

Patented Dec. 1, 1942 BREATHING MASK Jacques Gustave Mjean, Chatou, France, assignor to Socit Bronzavia, Courbevoie (Seine) France, a society of France Application December 2, 1938, Serial No'. 243,633 In Belgium December 20, 1937 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to arrangements for breathing masks or equivalent systems including several devices (for instance the mask proper, a microphone, an ear-piece, a system for heating the gas or gaseous mixture to bebreathed, and so on) which are to be used some distance away from various feeding sources or other control and connection devices. More particularly the improvements according to the present invention are intended for use with those already set forth in my prior application Ser. No. 139,309, filed April 27, 1938, and which consisted essentially in arranging such systems so that at least some of the 'parts which connect said devi-ces with the feeding sources or other external devices, are grouped into a single tube or the like, provided at its ends with suitable coupling or connecting devices.

The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of the type above dee scribed which is better adapted to meet the requirements than arrangements used for the same purposes up to the present time.

According to a rst feature of the present invention, at least some of the connecting devices of such arrangements are provided with marking means such that at least some of the connecting elements of the various electric circuits can be brought into cooperating contact with one another only when the two parts of said connecting devices are correctly engaged with one 'another, whereby it is possible to effect the connections'correctly, but impossible to make a mistake which would connect one of the electrical devices with a feed circuit which does correspond therewith.

According to another feature of the present invention, the devices include, among other parts, an olive-shaped member adapted to coact with a female coupling piece, and the nose of said olive-shaped member is caused to bear against a plastic ring or disc elastically mounted inside said coupling piece.

According to a further feature of the present invention7 concerning systems of the type above described which include a body relay, that is to say a device including a multi-way cock which permits of feeding the mask either from a reser- Voir permanently fixed to the aircraft or from an individual reservoir, I arrange this body relay in such manner that it is possible, by exerting a pressure on said cock after having suitably turned it, automatically to disconnect the individual equipment from the various sources of feed permanently carried by the aircraft.

According to still another feature of the resent invention, relating to systems of the type above referred to including at least one circuit (for instance the amplification circuit) permanently carried by the aircraft, the connecting device to be provided for connecting the individual part of the equipment with the permanent systems of the aircraft is arranged in such manner that, when the elements of said connecting device are separated, said circuit is cut o", so that current can ilow therethrough only when said equipment is in service.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of some specific embodiments thereof. y

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. l is an external View. with parts cut away. of some elements of a breathing equipment made according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view, with parts cut away, of one of said elements, the lower portion of which is provided with a connecting element which is shown as spaced apart from the corresponding connection; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section corresponding to Fig. 2.

The following description with reference to these drawings relates to the case of a breathing mask equipment which is to include, in addition to the mask proper and of the means for feeding air or oxygen to said mask, means for heating said respiratory gas, a microphone and earpieces.

According to the present invention.v and as shown by Fig. l, this equipment is devised in such manner that the connections which are to connect at a distance the various devices above mentioned with the corresponding feed sources, are grouped together, along a sufficient portion of their length, into a, single element or conduit l Such an equipment can then include, in addition to the mask proper, which is not shown by the drawings, the following parts:

a. A system A which, in the following description, will be called breast relay, the chief elements of which are a three-way cock pern'iitting4 the wearer of the system to get the gas to be breathed at will either from the source permanently provided on the aircraft, or from an individual reservoir carried for instance on the b. A system B, which will be hereinafter called cockpit relay said system being fixed to a wall of the aircraft and connected to the various feed sources of the equipment;

c. A connecting device C, made of two portions connected respectively to the breast relay A and to the cockpit relay B, said connecting device making it possible to couple the individual equipment with the devices permanently carried by the aircraft.

Concerning the breast relay A, it is preferably made, as already described in said prior application, in such manner as to include two distinct portions, to wit: l

A. A main portion in which is housed, in particular the three-Way cock 2 which is to permit the feed of the mask by the aircraft inhalator or by the individual reservoir. This main portion is associated with a multiple feed element 3 including a female coupling 4 for the inflow of oxygen from the inhalator and a plurality of holders or sockets such as 5 for the various electric circuits, Connection to an individual reservoir is made through a plug 50.

B. A connecting element 6 in which the Various electric wires are distributed to plugs 'I (preferably inserted in said element in an elastic manner as already described in said prior application above referred to), whereas the tube 8 through which oxygen is fed is provided with an olive-shaped end piece 9 capable of coacting with said female coupling 4.

I further provide, on this relay A, a call button IU, an olive-shaped end piece II for connection with the mask proper, and sockets I2 and I3, into which can be plugged respectively the conductors of the ear-pieces and of the cloth heating system.

According to one of the features of the present invention, I secure the connecting element 6 to the body of the relay through means capable of being released by a pressure exerted on the head of cock 2 for at least one angular position thereof.

For this purpose, according for instance to the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3, I proceed in the following manner:

The body of the relay carries two clamping branches at least one of which, for instance I4, is elastic whereas the other l5 is rigid and pivoted about an axis I6 against the action of a spring I1 which tends to move said branch I5 outwardly and therefore to release element 6.

Knob I8, or any other member for operating the cock is mounted slidable along its spindle I9 against the action of elastic means such as a spring 20.

The knob or other member I8 for operating the cock 2 is provided with a cylindrical hub sleeve I9. The hub sleeve I9 is mounted on a cylindrical shaft 6I rigid with the part 62 of the three-way cock 2. The shaft 6I is provided with a lateral pin S3, which extends through an elongated slot 64 in the sleeve I9 so that the knob I8 and sleeve I9 may have a limited axial sliding movement on the shaft 6|, and in such a manner that rotary movement of the shaft El and consequently the part 62 of the three-way cock 2 is effected. A spring 28 tends to keep the knob I8 in its outermost position.

The pivoted clamping branch I5 carries a nger 2| which normally bears against the periphery of an annular ring 22 rigidly secured to the knob I8. provided with a notch 23 which may engage the finger 2I, but which is not deep enough to permit the finger to move far enough under the action of the spring I'I to effect a release of element 6 through outward movement of the lower part of the clamping branch I5.

I further provide on the periphery of the sleeve 22 and on the same generatrices as notch 23, but ahead of and adjacent said notch, another notch 24, of greater depth, in such manner that, when the linger 2I is in notch 23 and the wearer of the equipment desires to disconnect the element 6, he rotates the knob I8 to the position wherein the finger 2l engages the notch 23. The operator then depresses knob I8 against action of spring thereby moving the nger 2I out of engagement with the notch 23, which permits the finger 2I to move downwardly under the action of the spring I'I into the deeper notch 24. This Vmovement of the finger 2I causes a relative movement of the pivoted clamping branch I5 The periphery of the ring 22 isv sucient to move the lower part thereof outwardly to release the element 6.

It should be noted that finger 2I will oppose the return of knob I8 into its normal position as long as said knob is not rotated in such manner as to permit said finger to leave notch 24.

Therefore, the operation to be performed for releasing the equipment from the devicesv permanently carried by the air craft will be particularly simple. It will suflice to turn knob I8 until the slight snap corresponding to the engagement of finger 2I into notch 23 is felt, and then to exert a pressure on said knob so that said finger can drop into notch 24. The connecting element is then released and driven out by plugs l, which are elastically mounted.

Although such an arrangement is sufficient for a good working of the breast relay A, it seems preferable further to arrange some of the parts thereof according to other features of the invention which will now be more specifically described:

According to one of these features, the system constituted by the multiple socket element 3 and the connecting element 6 is provided with marking means such that at least some of the plugs 1 cannot engage with corresponding sockets 5 unless said element 3 and said element 6 are brought into correct engagement relation with each other.

Owing to this arrangement, I avoid the risk for the wearer of the system, by bringing the connecting element in defective relation with'respect to the relay, of connecting some devices of `the equipment with respective feed circuits which do not correspond thereto and the current of which might injure said devices.

When plugs 'I are each provided with a kind of conical cap adapted to bear against the corresponding socket, the result above mentioned is obtained by arranging one of the plugs (for instance plug 11) in such manner that there does not exist a plug symmetrical thereto about the axis of element 6.

Said plug 'I1 is provided with a kind of pin' 25 adapted to engage in the corresponding socket 51 when the connecting element 6 is engaged with element 3 in correct relation therewith,

According to another feature of the present invention, I take into account the fact that the means for xing the connecting element 6 to the body of the relay are such that when these two parts are assembled the elastic branch I4 is rst engaged, and then said element 6 is brought by pivoting into contact with element 3, so that' olive-shaped end-piece 9 is brought into engagement with female coupling 4 in oblique position withlrespect thereto. Accordingly, the nose of said olive-shaped end-piece is caused to bear against a plastic ring 26, for instance of rubber, which is mounted elastically inside coupling piece 4, for instance by arranging it inside a kind of perforated cup 2l' Vbearing against a spring 28 surrounded by a bellows or the like 29 capable of ensuring iluidtightness of this part of the feed tube.

It will be readily understood that, with such an arrangement, the nose of the olive-shaped end-piece will immediatebT bear against the whole of the periphery of ring 26, as the latter is deformable sufficiently for compensating for the Obliquity of the olive-shaped end piece when it is engaged. Furthermore, owing to the elastic mounting of the ring, fluidtightness will always be ensured, even if the olive-shaped end piece is not fully engaged or if it is not exactly of the desired length. Therefore, it will not be necessary to make this olive-shaped end piece with a very high accuracy, which is a considerable advantage in the case of mass manufacture.

Concerning now the cockpit relay, it is advantageous to provide it with a member d which permits of regulating the degree of heating of the cloth of the wearer of the equipment, with a switch 4l inserted in the circuit for heating the gaseous mixture to be breathed, a meter 42 for checking the amount of said mixture fed to the wearer of the equipment, and a call button 43 playing the same part as the button Ill provided on the breast relay.

It is believed that the operation and advantages of the respiratory equipment according to the invention result suiciently clearly from the preceding description for making it unnecessary to describe them.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What' I claim is:

1. A coupling device comprising a first member and a second member, means mounted upon said rst member for detachably locking said rst member to said second member, valve means, a rotatable and axially displaceable valve control member mounted upon said rst member, positioning means actuatable by rotation of said rotatable member for bringing said rotatable member into a certain position with respect to said locking means, and meansA movable by axial movement of said rotatable member when at said certain position for actuating said locking means.

2. A coupling device comprising a rst member and a second member, valve means, means for detachably engaging said members, and valve control means rotatable to position and then axially displaceable from said position for actuating said engaging means.

l3. In a coupling, a mechanism for locking a first member to a second member comprising a locking lever pivotally mounted upon said rst member with one end thereof adapted to engage said second member, a valve, a circular valve control member mounted for rotary and axial movement upon said rst member, two axially aligned notches in the periphery of said circular member one of which is deeper than the other, said notches being adjacent to each other.. and means urging the other end of said lever into contact with the periphery of said circular member whereby movement of said lever is controlled by movement of said notches.

4. In a coupling as in claim 3, a projection upon said other end of said lever, and said circular member being axially displaceable to bring said projection into one or the other of said notches.

5. In a coupling as in claim 3, said lever being pivoted intermediate its ends upon an axis parallel to the axis of said circular member, whereby axial displacement of said circular member will bring said other end into engagement with one or the other of said notches,

6. A device for detachably coupling two sections of hose adapted to supply gas to a respirating mask comprising two members each of which is connected to a section of hose, rotary Valve control means mounted on one of said members for regulating the ilow of gas therethrough, means for locking said members together, and means operable by axial displacement of said valve control means for actuating said locking means.

JACQUES GUSTAVE M JEAN. 

